Instagram vs. Facebook: Images speak louder than words

A new study released by Expion reveals that back-to-school content on Instagram was more popular than Facebook's.

Following reports that teen preferences for Facebook are being overtaken by Twitter comes a new study from social media management company Expion that reveals another Facebook-shunning moment.

Almost 800 social media postings in the U.S. by big retailers such as JCPenney, Target and Walgreens were analysed by Expion to ascertain 'fan action by post', defined as the total of Likes and comments for Instagram and Likes, comments and Shares for Facebook.

The analysis, reported in The Drum, revealed that while Instagram gained 37% above an average fan action per post, Facebook fell 7%.

Perhaps we're moving into an age where pictures truly do speak louder than words. Certainly Justin Hernandez, writing on the Huffington Post's tech blog thinks so.

"Posting habits seem to be changing with most people solely sharing pictures directly from their Instagram accounts," writes Hernandez. "Aside from the usual barrage of selfies and food porn, I've seen an interesting trend develop where photos containing thoughts or expressions are preferred over the actual words being typed into a status update."